Neueste Artikel

Newsletter, 28 March – 02 April 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

UBS makes blockchain move

Swiss banking giant UBS is to open a technology lab in London to investigate how blockchain technology can be used in financial services.

http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/2015-04-02/ubs-opens-london-technology-lab-blockchain-bitcoin

Mapping fintech investments in Europe (and the Middle East)

Financial News this week published a special issue of its fintech magazine, Fintech News, assessing the opportunities and challenges facing the industry in eight different cities this side of the Atlantic.

http://thetally.efinancialnews.com/2015/04/mapping-fintech-investments-europe-middle-east/?mod=home-tally

The crazy adventure of founding a bank

…Eine Bank zu gründen, ist ein komplexes Unterfangen. 700.000 bis 800.000 Euro kostet es, allein um den Antrag fix und fertig zu machen …Ohne Lizenz kein fertiges Produkt, ohne fertiges Produkt keine Nutzer, ohne Nutzer keine Finanzierung, ohne Finanzierung keine Lizenz.

http://www.welt.de/finanzen/article138894620/Das-aberwitzige-Abenteuer-eine-Bank-zu-gruenden.html

Crowdfinanziertes FinTech-Start-up Paymey ist insolvent

FinTech boomt, funktioniert aber nicht immer! Paymey ist so ein Beispiel. Das Start-up ist insolvent. Via Seedmatch sammelte das junge Unternehmen in zwei Runden 400.000 Euro über die Crowd ein. Paymey trat einst mit dem großen Ziel an, das Bezahlen mit dem Smartphone zu vereinfachen.

http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2015/03/30/paymey-insolvent/ 

Traxpay elects Siegfried Heimgärtner as Chairman of the Board

Traxpay, world leader in B2B Dynamic Payments, today announced the appointment of Siegfried Heimgärtner as Chairman of its Supervisory Board. The former CEO of Skrill, who also held senior management positions at Ingenico and easycash, brings nearly 30 years of FinTech and IT experience to the company’s board.

http://traxpay.com/newsroom/?__hstc=210187018.3ffb53ae8b4aa2d8f0e0b0a0da52470b.1427829305607.
1427829305607.1427829305607.1&__
hssc=210187018.1.1427829305607&__hsfp=444232064

German banks way behind Paypal

Lange haben sie das Thema Online-Bezahlung anderen überlassen. Aber aufgrund wachsender Marktanteile von Paypal und Co. wagen die deutschen Geldinstitute mit einem Gemeinschaftsprojekt einen Vorstoß – womöglich zu spät.

http://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/banken/online-bezahlung-die-banken-rennen-paypal-hinterher/11567920.html

MistralPay Integrates SOFORT Banking As A Payment Solution

Mistral Pay Ltd, a global online payment provider, announced the official launch of their payment solution of SOFORT Banking online shopping payments. This is an online payments solution for e-commerce businesses seeking to create new revenue opportunities by growing their European sales in new markets.

http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/151629/

German banks become annoying for the average citizen / Normalbürger werden den deutschen Banken lästig

Meist handelt es sich nur um die ganz kleinen Geldangelegenheiten des Alltags: Ein Müllmann in der typisch orangefarbenen Montur hebt Geld ab, eine Seniorin mit Jutetasche tippt am Automaten daneben eine Überweisung in die Tastatur, und ein Herr am Tresen möchte vom Bankmitarbeiter 900 Euro in Hundertern ausgezahlt bekommen.

http://www.welt.de/finanzen/article138919542/Normalbuerger-werden-den-deutschen-Banken-laestig.html

Zencap feiert 1. Geburtstag

Vor genau einem Jahr, am 31.03.2014 starteten wir mit Zencap den ersten Online-Kreditmarktplatz für kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen in Deutschland. Mittlerweile ist unsere digitale Plattform der am schnellsten wachsende Anbieter im Bereich Unternehmenskredite in Europa.

https://www.zencap.de/zencap-feiert-erste-geburtstag-feiern-sie-mit-uns-177.html

Solactive launches new FinTech index

Frankfurt-based Solactive AG has launched the Solactive FinTech 20 Index, designed to track the 20 largest players in the Financial Technology (FinTech) space.

http://www.investmenteurope.net/regions/germany/solactive-launches-new-fintech-index/

Vom Whistleblower zum 150-Millionen-Gründer

Whistleblower Ismail Ahmed wurde von den Vereinten Nationen erst geächtet, dann finanziell entschädigt. Mit dem Geld gründete er das Geldversand-Startup WorldRemit.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/ismail-ahmed-worldremit

CBA unveils Albert tablet payment device (with Wincor Nixdorf)

Commmonwealth Bank of Australia is making a move into the point-of-sale hardware market, teaming up with German tech firm Wincor Nixdorf and Ideo to launch a seven inch Android based tablet system dubbed Albert.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27184

Fintech-Startups Gründen Fachgruppe Im Startup-Verband

Auf dem Startup Camp Berlin trafen sich Startups aus dem gesamten Bundesgebiet, um gemeinsam die Fachgruppe FinTech im Startup-Verband zu gründen.

https://deutschestartups.org/news/pressemitteilung-fintech-startups-grunden-fachgruppe-im-startup-verband/

Challenge of digitisation: how retail banks can win the competition for customers

Sectors such as the music industry and retail trade have already experienced it: the digitisation process is now gradually spreading to all areas of business and daily life. A panel of experts at CeBIT in Hanover discussed the growing pressure for innovation in the banking sector. The big question is: how will banks react to the changing market environment and how can digital technology improve the service experience for customers? A recently launched international study by GFT Group aims to provide answers.

http://www.bobsguide.com/guide/news/2015/Mar/26/challenge-of-digitisation-how-retail-banks-can-win-the-competition-for-customers.html

Fidor informiert über „Big Data Banking“ in Frankfurt

Big Data gehört zu den vielversprechendsten Innovationen in der Finanzbranche seit dem Bitcoin: Aber was verbirgt sich dahinter? Wie kann man Big Data im Bankenkontext sinnvoll nutzen? Wie wirkt sich eine gelungene Big Data Strategie auf Brand, Vertrieb, Risk und Fraud-Management im Online-Banking aus?

http://www.btc-echo.de/fidor-informiert-ueber-big-data-banking-in-frankfurt_2015033101/

Newsletter, 21 March – 27 March 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

Kreos Capital injects €5m into Spotcap

Kreos Capital has invested €5m in Berlin-based online credit platform Spotcap’s series-B funding round. The fresh capital will be used to finance the company’s lending activities in Spain and the Netherlands, and to expand its operations globally.

http://www.unquote.com/dach/official-record/2400928/kreos-capital-injects-eur5m-into-spotcap

FN Fintech Focus: Disruptors’ $4trn fortune

How much do finance incumbents stand to lose to tech disruptors? A lot, according to Goldman Sachs. Over $4 trillion in addressable revenues and $470 billion in profit at traditional financial services companies is at risk of being disrupted by new technology-enabled entrants, says a recent report by the Wall Street giant.

http://thetally.efinancialnews.com/2015/03/fn-fintech-focus-much-finance-incumbents-stand-lose-disruptors/

8 Questions with Jonathan Prince, Co-Founder of Digicash Payments SA

Who are you? I am Jonathan Prince, co-founder with Raoul Mulheims, Georges Berscheid and Mike Sergonne, of Digicash Payments SA which provides a digital payments platform and apps designed for banks & PSPs…Our company provides a white-labelled digital payment authorisation platform and App, fitting neatly into banks’ and PSPs’ infrastructures, using existing underlying payment channels (transfers, cards …) and smartly integrated with retailers’ POS and e-commerce systems.

Cashcloud eWallet Wins FinTech Innovation Award 2015

Success streak continues: Cashcloud wins in the category „Mobile Wallet”. Cashcloud Managing Director Olaf Taupitz: „This cannot be a coincidence!” And the winner is: cashcloud… again! The mobile eWallet of the Luxembourg start-up cashcloud was honored Wednesday in London with the FinTech Innovation Award 2015.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cashcloud-ewallet-wins-fintech-innovation-award-2015-496992171.html

(Congratulations to the Cashcloud team, which presented at the 2nd FinTech Forum in May 2014. Read our 7 Questions with Sven Donhuysen, CEO of Cashcloud)

Celent names Fidor Bank the Model Bank of the Year for 2015.

The vision for Celent’s Model Bank research, now in its eighth year, is to spotlight effective uses of technology in banking. Each year, in addition to case studies highlighting initiatives within a variety of topic areas, Celent awards an overall winner.

http://www.celent.com/reports/fidor-celent-model-bank-year-2015

Europe sets the pace as fintech investment triples in 2014

Global investment in fintech ventures tripled from $4.05 billion in 2013 to $12.2 billion in 2014, with Europe being the fastest growing region in the world, according to a new report by Accenture.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27169

FinTech visuals

Last week we saw some great visuals of FinTechs in the US, Europe and Germany doing the rounds on social media. Here they are:

Disrupting Banking: The FinTech Startups That Are Unbundling Wells Fargo, Citi and Bank of America
https://www.cbinsights.com/blog/disrupting-banking-fintech-startups/

European FinTech RUDEscape
http://markbivens.com/m/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/European-FinTech-RUDEscape1.png

German FinTech Overview: Unbundling Banks
http://paymentandbanking.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Bildschirmfoto-2015-03-26-um-13.01.08.png

The rapid decline of Kapital / Der schnelle Niedergang von Yapital (und mehr)

Lesenswert bietet einen schnellen Überblick über aktuelle, brandheiße und lesenswerte Meldungen, Artikel, Reportagen, Interviews und Hintergrundstorys zu Start-up-, Web- und Gründergeschichten, die andere Medien oder Blogs aus dem In- und Ausland verfasst und veröffentlicht haben.

http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2015/03/24/der-schnelle-niedergang-von-yapital-und-mehr/

VOOLA-Die erste Suchmaschine für Finanzprodukte ist offiziell online

Nach erfolgreich abgeschlossener Testphase startet die voola GmbH ihre gleichnamige Suchmaschine für Finanzprodukte Unter www.voola.de . Mit VOOLA will das junge Unternehmen die Suche nach den passenden Finanzprodukten vereinfachen und das große angebot für Anleger transparenter machen.

https://voola.de/press/VOOLA_Suchmaschine_fuer_Finanzprodukte_2015-03-25.pdf

Kreditech suspects data breach was inside job

Kreditech, a Germany-based lender focused on the unbanked, has suffered a data breach that has resulted in the personal records of thousands of applicants stolen and dumped on the dark web.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27154

Sixty startups compete for place at Innotribe Startup Challenge finale

Innotribe, the innovation arm of financial messaging network Swift, has shortlisted 60 companies from a record 370 early-stage and growth-stage startup applicants to participate in its 2015 Startup Challenge.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27135

Innovative Lender Fidor Bank Gives U.S. an Upvote

Fidor Bank, a branchless, bitcoin-friendly German lender that adjusts some of its interest rates based on the number of Facebook “likes” it receives, plans to enter the U.S. with the help of an as-yet-unnamed American partner.

http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/current-events-and-banking-industry-news/online-lender-fidor-bank-expands-america/

Lendico Adds SME Loans

German p2p lending service Lendico today added SME loans to its marketplace which previously focussed on consumer loans. This is in my view a peculiar move as now Lendico poaches in the realm of Zencap, which is already focussed on SME loans, considering that both startups were backed by Rocket Internet.

http://www.p2p-banking.com/countries/germany-lendico-adds-sme-loans/

Bericht zum 1. DVFA FinTech Forum

Insgesamt präsentierten sich acht unterschiedliche FinTechs im Rahmen eines „Beauty Contests“, moderiert von Ralf Frank, Generalsekretär und Geschäftsführer, DVFA. Im Mittelpunkt standen dabei zum einen Ideen, die primär auf den Endkunden abzielen, wie bei Cashboard, Decimo, Fairr.de oder Vaamo Finanz….Aus der Sicht von Samarth Shekhar, Founder Techfluence.eu und Co-Founder FinTechForum DACH, sind Banken aber nicht die einzigen attraktiven Partner für FinTechs.

http://www.dvfa.de/konferenzen-foren/veranstaltungen/fintech-forum/

Wie sich Fintech-Startups gegen Facebooks Bezahldienst positionieren können

Selbst Deutschlands Fintech-Experte André M. Bajorat hat das neue Payment-Update für Facebook Messenger mit einem „PENG!“ angekündigt. Nachdem Facebook bereits im letzten April eine kleine Banklizenz in Irland erworben hat, kommt nun das lang erwartete Update zum Messenger.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/facebook-bezahldienst-fintech-startups?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily&utm_term=facebook-bezahldienst-fintech-startups&utm_date=2015-03-20

FinTech Jobs at FinLeap

CTO/Co-Founder (m/f) for new FinTech Insurance company, Chief Risk Officer/Co-founder (m/f) for BillFront, Chief Sales Officer / Chief of Banking Relations (m/f) for FinLeap and more… http://www.finleap.com/jobs.html

Wanted! Experts on the theme: FinTechs in Germany – A threat to wealth management providers?

In the context of my bachelor thesis at the EBS University I am investigating the potential threat that Fintechs may pose to the wealth management industry. To effectively evaluate the threat, I would like to interview a variety of experts that are working in the wealth management/private banking sector and have an affinity for FinTechs. The interview is based on a 1-hour long conversation that can be done both in person or via telephone. Feel free to contact me at giulia.pescatore@students.ebs.edu. Thank you!

8 Questions with Jonathan Prince of DigiCash

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

1. Who are you?

I am Jonathan Prince, co-founder with Raoul Mulheims, Georges Berscheid and Mike Sergonne, of Digicash Payments SA which provides a digital payments platform and apps designed for banks & PSPs.

2. Which services do you sell?

Our company provides a white-labelled digital payment authorisation platform and App, fitting neatly into banks’ and PSPs’ infrastructures, using existing underlying payment channels (transfers, cards …) and smartly integrated with retailers’ POS and e-commerce systems. Our product is fully user experience focused, effectively integrating value-added services, for both proximity and remote payments. A customisable multi-technology device (the “Digicash Beacon”) for payment acceptance at the POS can be provided on top, as well as a nifty payment terminal integration and a full set of APIs/SDK for banks and merchants.

Thus, we deliver premium technology to bring payment businesses to the next level and enhance existing infrastructures, to create new ecosystems and seamlessly integrate custom banking, marketing or retail-centric features and products. Our platform has already been implemented by 4 banks and is live since 2012, making it available to more than 85% of Luxembourg banks’ customers. It serves as the backbone of the Luxembourg banks’ m-payment ecosystem, one of the most advanced and successful full digital payment schemes in the world, with more than 10% of the total population having downloaded the App.

Digicash Payments holds a full EU Payment Institution license and is based in Luxembourg, a Top 10 global financial center and payments innovation hotspot.

3. Who are your competitors?

On one hand, we face other bank-centric mobile payment initiatives. Typically, these players are either funded or under the control of issuing banks and have a national coverage. In most cases, they are not technology or product specialists, and this is why we consider them more as potential clients for our product/technology offer.

On the other hand, considering incumbent technology providers, only very few companies have the knowledge to build these kinds of tools, combining a user-centric approach and banking-grade security, offering very high levels of convenience and optimised multi-context workflows and features. So, beyond being competitors in some contexts, these companies are prospects and potential partners as well.

4. How did you get your start-up idea and how did you finance your start-up?

Digicash solution started from a 2010 research and development initiative with the help of Luxembourg’s government. Initially, the Digicash platform and the first generation of products were developed by one of the companies established by the founders, Mpulse, a mobile micropayment and mobile marketing company. Mpulse is a pioneer of mobile payments in Luxembourg with a 90% market share. The company itself is a spin-off of the first company founded by two of Digicash’s shareholders, Nvision, a digital & brand agency.
We have therefore a track record of building successful companies and more than 15 years of experience in the payment and digital industries. Digicash was born out of our extensive experience with mobile micropayments and the conviction that the wearability, efficiency and evolutive technology of smartphones had a strong disruptive potential in the payments area. We also believe that instead of bypassing the banks, technology providers should partner with them as banks are better suited to impose an industry standard, or at least standard features, to the market as they have done so in the past with other payment solutions such as credit cards. Finally, we consider that it is in the best interest of the banks to partner with technological companies which will ultimately become innovation providers.

5. What were the biggest challenges in starting?

Funding and regulatory were two main issues for us. In fact, to operate its activities in the financial sector, our company needed to obtain a full EU payment institution license. This took several months and the amount and level of quality of requirements and documents to produce is quite high to reach. Fortunately, Luxembourg is one of the best places in the world to start a payment business and obtain an EU license: the regulator CSSF has a huge experience in dealing with payment business and there are many advisors and consultants specialising in regulatory matters that are able to help out in this area. This are the reasons why international players like Paypal and Amazon Payments have chosen Luxembourg as their European hub for their licence and their payments businesses. Regarding our funding, the Digicash solution started from a 2010 R&D project with the help of the Luxembourg Government. Our company is fully owned by us and backed by the State investment bank (SNCI).

Another huge challenge for us was the partnerships with Financial Institutions. Banks are rarely in contact with small players and mainly deal with bigger partners. So, we had to work hard to adapt to their way of working and processes and to earn the trust of all four of Luxembourg’s major banks. Today, our entrepreneurial approach is the key driver of a joint and shared innovation effort between retail banks in the country.

This is a successful first business case we can rely on to address now new European markets and players.

6. What areas within FinTech do you personally find most interesting and why?

We believe that mobile payment is the perfect ground to offer enhanced and enriched services and products, both in marketing and core banking areas. In fact, our solution provides a lot of opportunities, through a great number of product evolutions and many possibilities of integration: P2P, cross-selling, new features like personal finance management and forecasting, integration and interaction with retailers’ loyalty systems), integration with core-banking products and roles such as consumer credit, new generation lending products, integration with other payment channels and tools …
All these areas are really exciting and a lot can be done. We’ll go beyond payments for sure, it is the very nature of this kind of fully digital product and a key ingredient of both our strategy and platforms.

7. What opportunities do you see for FinTech start-ups in the DACH region, and how can we help to accelerate it?

First of all, there is a huge opportunity in the DACH region, specifically in payments, as cash usage is still rather high and especially in Germany.
Besides, banks have to get actively involved to seize the full FinTech opportunity. They can facilitate and drive the evolution, as seen on the Luxembourg market.
How to help? It seems important to continue to liaise, raise awareness and provide the context for discussions in order to exchange ideas and boost the introduction of new players, as doing already. Potentially, it would be interesting to further involve banks, which are benefiting from FinTech innovations, in this process.

8. What tip would you like to give FinTech entrepreneurs in the region?

While many other initiatives are emerging across Europe, Digicash is unanimously accepted by the Luxembourg retail banks. From this interesting showcase led at a national scale, we can share with you 10 key learnings that contributed to its success.
1) Use the “existing” (payment platforms, channels…)
2) Work closely with merchants
3) Make an efficient segmentation by industry
4) Align your agenda with banks or financial institutions
5) New player with an entrepreneurial approach can be the key driver of a joint and shared innovation effort between retail banks
6) Choose technology neutrality of payment triggers and connectors
7) At all cost, stay user centric
8) Keep interoperability in sight
9) Go beyond mobile payment
10) Take full advantage of regulation and regulators, public and incumbent players’ contributions and assistance. It helps to operate out of a highly developed and efficient financial center and FinTech hotspot.

Newsletter, 14 March – 20 March 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

Online Pawnbroker Valendo / Online-Pfandleihhaus Valendo geht an den Start

Der Fintech-Inkubator Finleap startet heute sein neues Startup Valendo: ein Online-Pfandleihhaus. Es soll schnelle Sachwertdarlehen ermöglichen, vor allem für kleinere Unternehmen und Selbstständige, aber auch Privatleute. Damit ist Valendo neben Savedo und Billfront das dritte gelaunchte Finleap-Startup seit dem Start des Inkubators im Dezember 2014. Finleap wurde von der Startup-Fabrik Hitfox ausgegründet.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/finleap-valendo-start?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily&utm_term=finleap-valendo-start&utm_date=2015-03-18

Innotribe announces semi-finalists for the 2015 Startup Challenge.

Innotribe announces today it has selected 60 companies, out of the 370 early-stage and growth-stage startup applicants, to participate in the 2015 Startup Challenge. These companies will now get the opportunity to pitch their new products during the regional showcases in London (22 April), Cape Town (6 May), Singapore (28 May) and New York (18 June).

http://innotribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Innotribe-2015-Startup-Challenge_60-Semi-finalists.pdf

(Congratulations and best of luck to Cashboard, which presented at the 3rd FinTech Forum event in Nov. 2014, for making it to the semi-finals.)

4th FinTech Forum Event in Pictures & Tweets

The 4th FinTech Forum event on 19th March 2015 in Frankfurt saw 19 startups across lending, cryptocurrencies, trading games etc. presenting to investors and financial institutions. Check out the Startups on a Page, the event as it unfolded on Twittersphere, as well as the pictures from the event.

http://www.fintechforum.de/4th-fintech-forum-event-on-the-twittersphere/

Wirecard and Drillisch Sign Mobile Payment Cooperation Agreement

Wirecard AG and Drillisch AG, both of whom are listed on the TecDAX index of the German Stock Exchange, have agreed a strategic cooperation in the field of mobile payments. The cooperation agreement provides for network-independent telecoms service provider, Drillisch, to offer Wirecard’s „boon“ brand mobile payment solution, which will be launched in summer 2015.

http://www.sys-con.com/node/3311863

Lendico loses Co-Founder, expands business lending offerings / Lendico verliert Mitgründer und weitet Angebot auf Unternehmenskredite aus

Neben dem strukturellen Umbau gibt es auch personelle Veränderungen bei Rockets Kreditvermittlung Lendico: Nach Gründerszene-Informationen wird Mitgründer das Unternehmen verlassen. Sein Nachfolger ist Friedrich Hubel, der schon seit Ende 2014 Teil der Lendico-Gesschäftsführung ist.

www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/lendico-petrescu-friedrich-hubel-unternehmenskredite

„Die Rendite liegt im Schnitt bei 6,7 Prozent“

Bei der Online-Kreditplattform Auxmoney können Anleger Privatleuten Geld leihen. Im Interview verrät der Chef, warum das Portal rasant wächst, ein Börsengang kommen könnte und die Risiken überschaubar sei sollen.

http://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/anlagestrategie/trends/auxmoney-gruender-die-rendite-liegt-im-schnitt-bei-6-7-prozent/11510122.html

Six challenger banks using IT to shake up UK retail banking

…Fidor Bank is a social media and Web 2.0-based bank. It uses social media to overcome the cost and complexity of traditional banking, while increasing customer trust through an online community. It currently operates in Germany (since 2007) and Russia, and is going through the process of getting a licence in the UK. It also plans to launch in the US.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240238535/Six-challenger-banks-using-IT-to-shake-up-UK-retail-banking

Survey: APIs in banking 

APIs in banking are growing in importance yet many questions surrounding their emergence remain unclear. This research, led by the Open Bank Project, the leading API for banks and Bank Innovation, the global fintech blog, aims to understand how banks worldwide are prioritising API initiatives and why. We want to query the market to uncover the drivers behind this trend.

https://fr.surveymonkey.com/s/APISurvey-p

Kantox founder: “The Banking infrastructure is absolutely necessary” / Der Kantox-Gründer verrät, warum er ohne große Banken nicht auskommt

In drei Finanzierungsrunden konnte das Geldversende-Startup Kantox über 10 Millionen US-Dollar einsammeln. Und nach eigenen Angaben hat das Londoner Jungunternehmen gerade die Transaktionsschwelle von einer Milliarde US-Dollar überschritten – Grund genug, sich das Startup etwas genauer anzuschauen.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/kantox-barcelona-fintech?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily&utm_term=kantox-barcelona-fintech&utm_date=2015-03-17

Experten gesucht für eine Befragung zu: FinTechs in Germany – A threat to wealth management providers?

Im Rahmen einer Bachelorarbeit an der EBS Universität wird das Bedrohungspotenzial von FinTechs im Bezug auf Wealth Management untersucht. Wenn Sie also im Wealth Management/Private Banking arbeiten und eine Affinität zum Thema FinTech haben, sind Sie gesucht! Die Befragung basiert auf ein etwa 1-stündiges Gespräch welches sowohl telefonisch als auch in persona stattfinden kann. Kontaktanfragen gerne an giulia.pescatore@students.ebs.edu. Vielen Dank!

opentabs starts payments opentabs startet Bezahlung über Wirecard Checkout Portal

Der Technologie- und Finanzdienstleister Wirecard hat mit der opentabs GmbH, einem Anbieter von innovativen Anwendungen für die Gastronomie, einen weiteren Partner für das Wirecard Checkout Portal gewonnen. Die gleichnamige App „opentabs“ verbindet den Gastronom direkt mit dem Gast und ermöglicht die Bestellung sowie bargeldlose Bezahlung über das Smartphone.

https://www.wirecard.de/newsroom/pressemeldungen/newsdetail/opentabs-startet-bezahlung-ueber-wirecard-checkout-portal/ 

Eine Frau als Gründerin im Payment-Sektor

Miriam Wohlfarth wollte deutschen Onlinekunden das Einkaufen im Internet erleichtern. Heute ist RatePAY, ein Dienstleister für Bezahlprozesse im Onlinehandel, 100%ige Tochter der Otto Group und beschäftigt mehr als siebzig Mitarbeiter. Das profitabel arbeitende FinTech-Unternehmen erwirtschaftet Umsätze von mehreren hundert Millionen Euro und feiert nun seinen fünften Geburtstag.

https://www.ratepay.com/presse/pressemitteilungen/fuenf-jahre-ratepay-ein-start-up-wird-erwachsen

United Signals: Social Asset Management Made in Germany

The company is providing a set of strategies run by a selection of professionals who are executing their trades on the multi-level risk management system of the German social asset management provider United Signals.

http://forexmagnates.com/united-signals-social-asset-management-made-in-germany/%2523sthash.ClWv7zTZ.dpuf

(United Signals presented at the 1st FinTech Forum event in Nov. 2013: read our interview with Founder & CEO ).

Davor fürchten sich die Schweizer Retailbanken am meisten

Die Finanzkrise löste eine Flut von Regulierungen aus und treibt die Kosten für die Banken enorm in die Höhe. Dies beschleunigt gerade hierzulande die Konsolidierung im Bankwesen – diverse Finanzhäuser sind denn auch von der Bildfläche verschwunden.

http://www.finews.ch/news/banken/17668-retailbanken-digitale-strategie-glarner-kantonalbank-valiant-markus-gygax-holger-Spielberg 

Saving disgrace

WHY earn 2% on your savings when you can rake in 0.5%? Peculiar as it sounds, that seems to be the view of many Germans…Firms such as Saving Global, based in Berlin, allow Germans to open as many accounts elsewhere in Europe as they like without ever visiting a branch, much less learning Portuguese.

http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21646268-variation-deposit-rates-europe-both-puzzling-and-worrying-saving

5 typische Kreditfehler aufgedeckt – Das sollten Verbraucher beachten

Wer schon länger eine größere Anschaffung plant wie z.B. ein neues Auto oder aber wer einen kurzfristigen Finanzierungsbedarf hat, etwa für unvorhergesehene Reparaturmaßnahmen, sollte jetzt Nägel mit Köpfen machen. Die Zinsen für Privatkredite sind aktuell besonders niedrig und die Angebote der Kreditinstitute sind entsprechend attraktiv.

http://www.smava.de/presse/5-typische-kreditfehler-aufgedeckt-das-sollten-verbraucher-beachten/

4th FinTech Forum Event on the Twittersphere

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

JONATHAN PRINCEJonathan Prince @princejonjon · Mar 19

On my way to @FinTechForum_DE event in Frankfurt. Excited to meet the DACH Fintech community.

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Kicking off the 4th #FinTech Forum @FrankJSchwab. Thanks to all for making it inspite of the chaos here in Frankfurt!

Marina Vukovic @vukovima · Mar 19MARINA VUKOVIC

Today @FinTechForum_DE! @giromatch and @in2experience presenting their startups! Hoping for nice discussions! @FrankJSchwab @techfluence_eu

Frank Schwab @FrankJSchwab · Mar 19FRANK

Today: 4th FinTech Forum – here are the presenting startups on a page. Follow us on Twitter @FinTechForum_DE https://lnkd.in/dtgZ43H 

Digicash @digi_cash · Mar 18DIGICASH

We’re glad to present tomorrow our Digicash solution and ambition in payments at the @FinTechForum_DE in Frankfurt #FinTechEvent

Sclable @Sclable · Mar 17SCLABLE

Process changes? Your software follows – in real time with little to no programming. 19.3. @FinTechForum_DE #FinTechForum #AgileDevelopment

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 17

4th #FinTech Forum (19.03.15): @GetUptick Competitive social gaming meets stock trading. http://www.getuptick.com/ 

FINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19FINTECH CIRCLE

@millipay micro payments integrates pay per use solution , helps publisher, increase subscription @FinTechForum_DE

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Your personal financial assistant: summary of savings, insurance & investments, totally mobile #treefin #fintech

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

All you banks keeping your branch customers waiting: be nice to them, and make money w/ @waitology #fintech

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

A hybrid approach of physical teller machines & cryptocurrency to enable micro-remittances: GIW by @SbexCh #fintech

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

Give it Worldwide GIW uses #Blockchain tech for global #remittance @FinTechForum_DE #fintech plus real kiosks & app

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

Niiio.me community investment platform for leaders & followers to trade diff assets @FinTechForum_DE Frankfurt am Main, Hessen

Claudia Chiaraluce @cchiaralux · Mar 19CHIARALUCE

‚@millipay wants to make online payments as simple as browsing – convert users in consumers @FinTechForum_DE #fintech

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

Treasury View helps corporate bankers to deliver customized clients offers at low costs #fintech @FinTechForum_DE

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

ROM Risk Opportunity Map visualizes asset allocation principles to help private investors @FinTechForum_DE #fintech

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

In2Experience presents Risk Opportunity Matrix for retail investors currently „driving blind“! @FinTechForum_DE

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Next up: SECCO Authada, 2-factor authentication mobile & call authentication: made & patented in Germany! #FinTech

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

@giromatch borrowers benefit from good rates, investors diversify, unique credit risk model @FinTechForum_DE #fintech

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

@getuptick trading, online competition and gamified education focus on active stock + FX traders @FinTechForum_DE

Claudia Chiaraluce @cchiaralux · Mar 19CHIARALUCE

Collaboration & partnership are key to succed/survive in #fintech ecosystem @FinTechForum_DE @FinTechForum_DE @FinTechStage #fintechconnect

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Kicking off our roundtable panel: Accelerating Financial Services of the Future via #FinTech Partnerships and M&A

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

BoerseGO introduced Guidants light Bloomberg tool incl customized desktops for B2B partners @FinTechForum_DE #fintech

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Presenting the „first cost saving multi-banking gateway +“ focused on the SEPA market #b4Payments #FinTech Forum

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

@Figo Lars great update on Figo’s solution to leverage financial data via Figo Connect API #FINTECH @FinTechForum_DE

Jochen Siegert @jochensiegert · Mar 19JOCHEN SIEGERT

.@LarsMarkull from @figoApp presenting Figo at @FinTechForum_DE

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Focused on pensions- the largest slice of Europe’s biggest savings market is @Fairrde at the 4th #FinTech Forum

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

Fairr.de revolutionises German pension products cutting out fees and transparency @FinTechForum_DE

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

@sclable accelerates time to market release enterprise software fast @FinTechForum_DE #fintech Agile bank application

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

Third to pitch is FSC Software’s ITeSim with their test automation solution for asset managers.

Raoul Mulheims @raoulmulheims · Mar 19RAOUL

@princejonjon to pitch/demo @digi_cash this morning at @FinTechForum_DE in #Frankfurt – go get them! #fintechLU #FinTech #startupLU Frankfurt am Main, Hessen

Claudia Chiaraluce @cchiaralux · Mar 19CHIARALUCE

Good view of #fintech funding in Germany from Samarth Shekhar @FinTechForum_DE #fintechforum #frankfurt #Startup

FINTECHFORUMFinTech Forum @FinTechForum_DE · Mar 19

First on stage: @Clueda, combining Big Data financial sentiment analysis w/ cognitive computing a la Watson! #fintech

FINTECH CIRCLEFINTECH Circle @FINTECHCircle · Mar 19

@digi_cash digital platform for banks Great live demo at @FinTechForum_DE #fintech Jonathan Prince, Co-founder

View photos and videos

Newsletter, 07 March – 13 March 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

Samwer slips up as banker / Samwer patzt als Banker

Apparently it’s not so easy for Internet companies to attack the banks on their turf. Oliver Samwer, creative destroyer and CEO of Rocket Internet, has a setback now anyway. His lending platform Lendico withdraws from three countries.

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/internetunternehmen-samwer-patzt-als-banker-13469510.html

VC firms zero-in on FinTechs / Wagniskapital nimmt Fintechs ins Visier

Die Deutschen kehren ihren Hausbanken den Rücken. Seit Beginn der Banken- und Wirtschaftskrise 2008/2009 ist das Vertrauen in die herkömmlichen Institute dramatisch gesunken…Wie wird sich das Venture Capital-Volumen in diesem Segment, das laut Techfluence Consult im vergangenen Jahr 175 Mio. EUR betragen hat, 2015 entwickeln?

http://www.vc-magazin.de/technologien/internet/item/3218-wagniskapital-nimmt-fintechs-ins-visier

This is why UBS is not afraid of the FinTech Boom / Darum hat die UBS keine Angst vor dem Fintech-Boom

Wenn die Gefahr von Fintech-Startups für etablierte Banken heraufbeschworen wird, bleibt die UBS cool. Denn sie paart Fintech mit eigenen Stärken. Das kommt bei den Kunden an, wie nun erstmals Zahlen zeigen.

http://www.finews.ch/news/banken/17679-ubs-lukas-gaehwiler-andreas-kubli-fintech-digitalisierung-kunden-erfolg

7 Questions with Marcel Platz, Founder / CEO of geldempfehlung.de

Who are you? My name is Marcel Platz and I founded geldempfehlung.de in 2013. I had in 2011 the vision that investment consulting can be digital…We are offering an automated recommendation portal for private investors based on algorithm.

New entrants lure with loans at low rates / Neue Anbieter locken mit Krediten zu Tiefstzinsen

Robert Oudmayer ist einer der glücklichsten Bankenchefs der Schweiz. Während seine Branchenkol­legen vom niedrigen Zinsniveau hart getroffen werden, hat der Lenker der Cembra Money Bank den Zinsabsturz schadlos überstanden. Das zeigte sich erneut im Bericht zu den Geschäftszahlen 2014.

http://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/neue-anbieter-locken-mit-krediten-zu-tiefstzinsen-749313

Lendico closes offices, lays off staff / Lendico schraubt am Geschäftsmodell, schließt Standorte und entlässt Mitarbeiter

Der Kreditmarktplatz Lendico reagiert auf magere Ergebnisse in drei Ländern und schließt Niederlassungen. Außerdem sind Änderungen am Geschäftsmodell geplant.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/lendico-umbruch

Fintech conference Finance 2.0 is looking for fintech start-ups

Finance 2.0, the leading conference (in Switzerland) about innovation and digitization in the area of finance and banking is looking for smart heads and smart fintechs. The selected companies have the chance to present to and meet bankers, investors and other important multipliers.

http://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/march-2015/fintech-conference-finance-2-0-is-looking-for-fintech-start-ups

Patent grant for secure authentication startup Authada 

Unlike Post‐Ident or WebID e.g., the SECCO service provides a mobile, legally binding, fast and secure two‐factor verification of the identity of existing and new customers in business processes. Authada will present its solution at the 4th FinTech Forum event on 19th March, 2015 in Frankfurt.

https://register.dpma.de/DPMAregister/pat/register?AKZ=1020110560386&CURSOR=4

Austria-based Speedinvest launches second fund 

Vienna, Austria-based early-stage venture fund Speedinvest has raised 60 million euros for its second fund. The focus is on European tech startups.

https://www.pehub.com/2015/03/austria-based-speedinvest-launches-second-fund/

DE: http://speedinvest.com/blog/58-2/

Staatliche Zuschüsse für Existenzgründer, junge sowie etablierte Unternehmen, z.B. für Hilfe bei Gründung aus der Arbeitslosigkeit

Wenn Sie aus der Arbeitslosigkeit (ALG 1 + ALG 2) gründen wollen, können Sie finanzielle Unterstützung (Einstiegsgeld und Gründungszuschuss) beantragen. Unsere Experten sagen Ihnen, welche Voraussetzungen Sie erfüllen müssen.

http://www.foerderprogramme-deutschland.de/

Austria-based Speedinvest launches second fund 

Vienna, Austria-based early-stage venture fund Speedinvest has raised 60 million euros for its second fund. The focus is on European tech startups.

https://www.pehub.com/2015/03/austria-based-speedinvest-launches-second-fund/

CashSentinel, Millipay will present in First Swiss Venture Day 2015 with intensive program

Nine companies will present at the upcoming Swiss Venture Day on 17 March. There will be full pitches by 3Brain, Aspivix, Ava, CashSentinel, Insightness, Millipay and Oviva and Elevator Pitches by Femtotool and Swissto12.

http://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/march-2015/first-swiss-venture-day-2015-with-intensive-program#.VQIJs_nF9qU

“Die Finanzwelt möglichst einfach zugänglich machen”

Frank Schwab ist CEO der Fidor TesC AG. Fidor TecS entwickelt, implementiert und betreibt die Bankinglösung fidorOS, eine API basierte Middle Ware Software, die Peer-to-Peer-Lending, Social- und Crypto-Banking ermöglicht…Mit uns sprach er über den FinTech Trend und die Philosophie der Fidor-Bank.

http://www.financial-disruption.de/frank-schwab-im-gespraech-die-finanzwelt-moeglichst-einfach-zugaenglich-machen/

Mambu signs up to SaaS Assured

Cloud banking platform provider Mambu, has signed up to the SaaS Assured service from global information assurance specialist NCC Group, providing an additional layer of confidence for its customers.

http://www.finextra.com/news/announcement.aspx?pressreleaseid=58993

cashcloud AG: Good Prospects for the Mobile Payment Market 2015 

The mobile payment market in Germany is growing. One of the reasons for this is the improvement of the technical requirements for mobile payment in the field of commerce. Since the beginning of the year all MasterCard terminals are being equipped with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology creating ever more acceptance points.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cashcloud-ag-good-prospects-for-the-mobile-payment-market-2015-294633061.html

Payfriendz among the 25 Startups that „get“ Instagram right

Payfriendz is the only FinTech firm in the article „Über 25 Start-ups, die Instagram so richtig gekonnt nutzen“, describing itself as “Only the best flipping way to share money with friendz… EVER!”.

http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2015/03/06/startups-instagram-nutzen/

7 Questions with Marcel Platz, Founder / CEO of geldempfehlung.de

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

1. Who are you?

My name is Marcel Platz and I founded geldempfehlung.de in 2013. I had 2011 the vision that investment consulting can be digital.

2. Which services do you sell and who are your competitors?

We are offering an automated recommendation portal for private investors based on algorithm. We ask the customer about 30 questions about his desire. Our software checks first the asset classes like bonds. Then 40 types of investment will be checked, for example stock funds Europe, life insurances and the German products “Riester-Rente” and “Rürup-Rente”. Finally the customer gets personal recommendations for the best products of each fitting investment type. Comparing products and investment types are typical useful functions for our customer. At the end of the process the customer gets the protocol according to German law. Our process is more complex but the customer has the advantage to find the fitting products in an easy way. We started the public beta-test in December and launch our service in march 2015.

Direct competitors are automated investment guides. Most of them are concentrating on ETF products. We took the uncomfortable way and are checking all investment types.

3. How did you get your startup idea and how did you finance your startup?

Some years ago I realized that all business areas were going digital and markets are changing fast. But for banking and investing, there was no digital advisor. So I developed one prototype after getting a lot of positive feedback. Everybody asked me “Can I already use it?” But I had to say “Sorry, not yet. I will speed up.”

I started our business with government subventions, savings and earnings from another software project as freelancer.

4. What were the biggest challenges in starting?

Finding team members as co-founder is and was really hard. Some were talking much but they haven´t done enough. It´s like a relationship. You are going through good time and bad time. When you went through a difficult step, you know your team very well.

All regulatory and legal issues are a big challenge for our business model. We are digitalizing processes which were only done by humans before. We have to adopt our investment platform according to the law.

5. What areas within FinTech do you personally find most interesting and why?

I like personal finance solutions and payment solutions for bank accounts on mobile devices. Paying with your smartphone is not really comfortable at the moment. I would like to use it more often and enjoy it.

6. What opportunities do you see for FinTech startups in the DACH region, and how can we help to accelerate it?

Markets are changing and growing fast in Finance and insurance because digital processes are not so distributed. Young people prefer mobile banking on tablets and smartphones. This area can grow, but usability is most important. When you are paying with your mobile device in the supermarket and it takes longer as by cash card, only some techies and early adopters will use it.

Acceleration of FinTech start-ups is possible with good public relations and media contacts. I think the FinTech Forum is the first step to start this process.

7. What tip would you like to give FinTech entrepreneurs?

Start first with a small prototype and search for much feedback. Legal requirements are important but it´s enough to know you can face them. There are many people who will tell you what will not work. It´s good to listen to them. But don´t forget to fight for your idea and find a solution. Maybe you know this picture with Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook. He is wearing a t-shirt and the author is asking something like “Would you give this guy venture capital?” – so not every brilliant business idea was identified 😉

Newsletter, 28 February – 06 March 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

Lendstar wins funding from DVH Ventures / Lendstar gewinnt DvH Ventures als neuen Investor

DvH Ventures, die Beteiligungsgesellschaft der DvH Medien (Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt, Tagesspiegel Gruppe und Die ZEIT Verlagsgruppe), investiert zusammen mit bestehenden Investoren in das Münchner Start-up Lendstar. Gemeinsam stellen sie dem jungen Unternehmen aus dem Bereich digitaler Finanzdienstleistungen Mittel in siebenstelliger Höhe zur Verfügung.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/lendstar-comdirect-millionen

[Congratulations and best of luck to Lendstar, who presented at the inaugural FinTech Forum event in Nov. 2013]

Simplesurance raises $8 million Series B / simplesurance schließt erfolgreich Series-B-Finanzierung

Simplesurance raises $8 million from former investors and two new ones: the U.S. VC Route 66 Ventures and a New York-based Fortune500 insurance company who’s name Simplesurance decided not to share.

http://www.presseportal.de/pm/116135/2962861/simplesurance-schliesst-erfolgreich-series-b-finanzierung-ueber-mehr-als-8-mio-us-dollar-ab

7 Questions with Lauri and Margo Karp of TreasuryView

Who are you? We are Lauri and Margo Karp, founders of TreasuryView…2009 we startet with cloud-based risk analytics for public sector loan and hedges portfolios. We were pioneers in moving rather mature financial abstainers to cloud and offer new type of user experience in dealing with complex bank products.

Call 4 Innovation – present your fintech at finance 2.0 (5th May, Zürich)

Finance 2.0, the leading conference (in Switzerland) about innovation and digitization in the area of finance and banking is looking for smart heads and smart fintechs, who are offering impressing and revolutionary digitization products and services for the finance industry.

http://www.finance20.ch/fintech/

meetinvest founders reveal £1 million personal investment portfolio on platform homepage

meetinvest, a new and free financial social media platform that replicates the successful formula of investment legends such as Buffett, Templeton, Slater, etc. for retail investors, today announces its key investment strategies in a portfolio reveal of £1 million, accessible on its homepage.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/meetinvest-founders-reveal-1-million-081500111.html

In the future, BBVA will be a software company – Francisco Gonzalez

Fresh from his forecasts last month that half of the world’s banks would get left behind by the digital revolution in financial services, BBVA chairman Francisco González has mapped out a new future for his organisation, not as a bank, but as a software company.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27080

Temenos acquiring Multifonds – the rapidly changing world of asset management

Temenos has announced that it is acquiring Multifonds. Multifonds, out of Luxembourg, is known for its IBOR portfolio and fund accounting system and its transfer agency application.

http://wealthandcapitalmarketsblog.celent.com/2015/03/05/temenos-acquiring-multifonds-the-rapidly-changing-world-of-asset-management/

Trillion-Dollar Alternative Lending Industry Is A VC Gold Mine

In a recovering economy where big banks are restricted by complex regulations, startups and venture investors are gearing up for the next gold rush in the trillion-dollar marketplace lending industry. That’s trillion. With a T. In the first two months of 2015, VCs committed $340 million in venture capital for lending tech startups, according to CrunchBase data.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/05/trillion-dollar-alternative-lending-industry-is-a-vc-gold-mine/#fZLeJ4:X99B

Go Beyond: Three investments and a new Fintech group

Go Beyond Investing had a good start in 2015. GBI participated in three investment rounds recently. Portfolio companies achieved significant milestones. In 2015 Go Beyond will make Fintech deals a priority.

http://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/february-2015/go-beyond-three-investments-and-a-new-fintech-group

Wirecard To Buy Acquiring Customer Portfolio From Lufthansa AirPlus

Wirecard AG (WRCDF.PK), a Germany-based provider of electronic payment and risk management applications, Tuesday reported execution of an agreement with Lufthansa AirPlus Servicekarten GmbH on the acquisition of core acquiring customer contracts of credit card acceptance as well as further other chosen assets from Lufthansa.

http://www.rttnews.com/2464902/wirecard-to-buy-acquiring-customer-portfolio-from-lufthansa-airplus.aspx

Wirecard Presents Innovative Solution for Card Payments at POS Terminals

Wirecard is to expand the range of functions for point of sale (POS) terminals with an intelligent payment interface.

http://www.sys-con.com/node/3304172

Ripple Labs Heads to Fidor Developer Day

This week, Ripple Labs heads to Munich, Germany for the Fidor Development Conference, hosted by Fidor Bank.

Since Fidor Bank got its banking license in 2009, the online-only financial services provider has taken a bold approach toward banking and innovation. Rather than being a bank with a focus on technology, in many ways, Fidor is a technology company that happens to offer banking services.

https://ripple.com/blog/ripple-labs-heads-to-fidor-developer-day

RapidMiner Positioned in the Leaders Quadrant of Gartner Magic Quadrant for Advanced Analytics Platforms

RapidMiner, the industry’s easiest-to-use Modern Analytics platform, announced today it has been positioned by Gartner in the Leaders Quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Advanced Analytics Platforms1 published February 19, 2015.

http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/rapidminer-positioned-leaders-quadrant-gartner-magic-quadrant-advanced-analytics-platforms-1995291.htm

Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute positions EXASOL in Magic Quadrant for Data Warehouse and Data Management Solutions for Analytics

EXASOL, independent vendor of in-memory analytic database technology, has been placed in the new 2015 Gartner, Inc. Magic Quadrant for Data Warehouse and Data Management Solutions for Analytics*, authored by analysts Mark A. Beyer and Roxane Edjlali.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/completeness-of-vision-and-ability-to-execute-positions-exasol-in-magic-quadrant-for-data-warehouse-and-data-management-solutions-for-analytics-300040827.html

7 Questions with Lauri and Margo Karp of TreasuryView

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

1. Who are you?

We are Lauri and Margo Karp, founders of TreasuryView

2. Which services do you sell and who are your competitors?

2009 we startet with cloud-based risk analytics for public sector loan and hedges portfolios. We were pioneers in moving rather mature financial abstainers to cloud and offer new type of user experience in dealing with complex bank products. This year we re-innovate our business model. On the back of proven technology we will approach much broader wholesale business client base. Its time to accelerate competition between banks and other new fintech entrants for the benefit of corporate customer.

Our main competitors are “Bank-IT” and new bank product aggregation platforms.

3. How did you get your start-up idea and how did you finance your start-up?

Treasuryview was established 6 years ago on a strong foundation – more than decade old experience of the founders in banking in combination with digital affinity. We spotted heavy manual work in treasury departments and in banks serving these customers and identified a distinctive innovation gap.

Our company is privately funded.

4. What were the biggest challenges in starting?

Macro environment – we ended quickly in a financial crisis “tsunami” and there was a point where some our potential customers “disappeared”. Implosion of the addressable market and lost in sales traction was a result. Yet, we didn´t give up.

5. What areas within FinTech do you personally find most interesting and why?

Business Banking and Capital Markets – these are “blue oceans” for fintech´s. Perceived, most of financial innovation today concentrates either on personal finance or payments. Yet, payments are already automated (end-to-end) and very competitive in a corporate world, so new innovation must address businesses real cash issues. These are funding, investment and risk – all elements affecting corporates financial fate.

6. What opportunities do you see for FinTech start-ups in the DACH region, and how can we help to accelerate it?

DACH region is overbanked and under-digitalized. You can play a stronger role in enhancing the learning curve of large number of bankers and bank executives in terms of digitalization.

7. What tip would you like to give FinTech entrepreneurs in the region?

William Blake: “The true method of knowledge is experiment“

Newsletter, 21 February – 27 February 2015

Veröffentlicht von admin@tochter

FinLab acquires crowdfunding platform Venturate / Finlab übernimmt Venturate

FinLab AG is pleased to announce that it has acquired a majority stake of 60% of Munich-based crowdfunding platform Venturate AG.

http://www.dgap.de/dgap/News/corporate/finlab-finlab-acquires-majority-stake-crowdfunding-platform-venturate-ag/?companyID=1507

4th FinTech Forum: line-up of presenting startups announced

The startups presenting at the (sold out) 4th FinTech Forum event on 19th March in Frankfurt include a “Financial Facebook”, a “connector” of traditional and cryptocurrencies, and big data analytics for traders and analysts. Check out the “Startups in a Tweet” here: http://www.fintechforum.de/english/programm/

7 Questions with Jens Jenissen of fairr.de

Who are you? My name is Jens Jennissen and I am the founder of Fairr.de GmbH. Fairr.de offers savers innovative and transparent retirement solutions…We currently offer one retirement product, the fairriester, with the aim of broadening the product line this year with one additional product and by entering the market for corporate pensions.

Fidor Bank to Open Branchless Cryptocurrency Platform in US / FIDOR Bank und Bitcoin.de führen Bitcoin Express-Handel ein

Der größte Bitcoin-Marktplatz Europas wird zum weltweit ersten Bitcoin-Handelsplatz mit direkter Anbindung an das klassische Bankensystem. Transaktionen und der Handel mit Bitcoins werden dadurch nicht nur sicherer.

http://newsbtc.com/2015/02/23/fidor-bank-open-branchless-cryptocurrency-platform-us/

AXA sets up EUR200 million disruptive venture fund

AXA has launched a EUR200 million venture capital fund dedicated to investing in budding strategic innovations in the insurance, asset management, financial technology and healthcare service industries.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27039

European alternative finance market breaks EUR2 billion barrier

The European alternative finance market as a whole grew by 144% last year – from €1,211m in 2013 to €2,957m in 2014, according to benchmarking research by the University of Cambridge… Germany is the third-largest online market overall with €140m,

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27028

FinTech Investment Expected To Double In 2015

If 2014 finally forced the financial services industry to recognize the ascendance of financial technology, 2015 may end up being the year of the FinTech revolution. Global investment in FinTech is set to double from $10 billion in 2014 to $19.7 billion in 2015, according to a new paper by MarketResearch.com and Banking Reports.

http://m.wealthmanagement.com/blog/fintech-investment-expected-double-2015

The fintech scene is so hot, it’s boiling

I just picked up Silicon Valley Bank’s latest report on Fintech, and it makes fascinating reading.  Here are the headlines: the fourth quarter of 2014 was the busiest time in fintech history, with 214 deals taking place globally; the entire fintech market saw 211 acquisitions in 2014 alone, making it the most prolific period of the last 5 years…

http://www.nextbank.org/2015/02/23/the-fintech-scene-is-so-hot-its-boiling/

Registrations open for the ultimate #FinTech conference

We are FinTech veterans and pioneers: the right mix of experts, entrepreneurs, bankers, innovators and misfits @FinTechStage, Milan 30-31 March 2015. Register here with the partner discount code FS25OFF. http://bit.ly/1Hr2Mqf

The BBVA bank vaults that hoard data instead of bullion

…Spain’s second-largest bank, which has a major presence in Turkey, Latin America and the US, has established itself as one of the most ardent disciples of digital transformation. Between 2011 and 2013, it spent an average of €850m a year on investing in technology, infastructure — such as data centres — and software development.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bbbfebc4-b79f-11e4-981d-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3St1NYvFb

Cool Infographic of the German FinTech Startup Scene / Die deutsche FinTech-Start-up-Szene als schicke Infografik

FinTech. Egal wo man derzeit hinschaut, überall dreht sich alles um FinTech! Passend zum Boom gibt es nun auch eine schicke Infografik über die deutsche Fintech-Start-up-Szene.

http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2015/02/19/die-deutsche-fintech-start-szene-als-schicke-infografik/

Visa brings tokenisation to Europe; preps P2P/social media payments service

Visa Europe is to launch a tokenisation service customised for the European marketplace in mid-April in a move which would pave the way for the roll out of Apple Pay across the continent.

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=27030

Google building a new payment system? / Android Pay: Google entwickelt neues Bezahlsystem

Google bereitet laut Insidern den Launch einer neuen Payment-API vor. Mit Android Pay können Entwickler mobile Zahlungen in ihre App integrieren. Die Technologie soll bei der Google I/O im Mai vorgestellt werden. Google Wallet soll als eigenständige Anwendung weiter existieren.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/android-pay-google-apple-jawbone

Deutsche Börse plant bis Sommer Plattform für Start-ups

Bis zum Sommer will die Deutsche Börse eine Plattform für Start-ups an den Start bringen. Wie diese vorbörsliche Plattform für Start-ups funktionieren soll? Über die Plattform, wie auch immer sie aussehen soll, können sich Start-ups und Investoren erst einmal in einem wohl geschützten Bereich beschnuppern.

http://www.deutsche-startups.de/2015/02/20/deutsche-boerse-plattform-startups/

Umbau bei Kreditech sorgt für Stellenstreichungen in Hamburg

Kreditech wächst, und das rasant. Drei Jahre nach Gründung ist das Fintech-Startup in neun Ländern aktiv, es beschäftigt über 200 Mitarbeiter, im Blick hat das Unternehmen ein Wachstum von „weit mehr als 500 Prozent pro Jahr“, wie CFO René Griemens vor wenigen Wochen erklärte.

http://www.gruenderszene.de/allgemein/kreditech-ausland-tochter

Fidor Bank AG: FIDOR Bank Reports Positive Preliminary Result for 2014 and Continues its Growth Course

FIDOR Bank AG announces preliminary figures for the year 2014: the bank’s preliminary unaudited financial statements show a net after-tax profit of approximately €2.5 million (previous year: €0.2 million). Total assets increased by 33% to €305 million.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fidor-bank-ag-fidor-bank-reports-positive-preliminary-result-for-2014-and-continues-its-growth-course-293612421.html

Wirecard Presents Innovative Solution for Card Payments at POS Terminals

Wirecard is to expand the range of functions for point of sale (POS) terminals with an intelligent payment interface.

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wirecard-presents-innovative-solution-for-card-payments-at-pos-terminals-293799281.html

Liebe Mobile-Payment-Anbieter: Ihr habt es versiebt!

Liebe Anbieter mobiler Bezahlverfahren, als ich im Februar letzten Jahres einen offenen Brief an euch gerichtet und geschrieben habe, dass der Hype beim Mobile Payment nur in eurem Kopf sei, bekam ich bitterböse E-Mails und wurde beschimpft oder ausgelacht.

http://t3n.de/news/mobile-payment-anbieter-kommentar-595030/